Swedish men urged to share domestic duties

By
The Associated Press /
November 18, 1985

Stockholm

The Swedish male has been inspected and found wanting by a government panel which believes fathers would be happier sharing child-caring and other domestic duties equally with their working wives. Most Swedish men appear to be ignoring that advice, even though government policy and financial realities have pushed 83 percent of Swedish women with preschool children into the labor market. The losers are the men, says Stig Ahs, who chaired the panel.

Sweden offers both mother and father almost a full year of parental leave at government expense, to be taken one at a time by either parent, married or unmarried. But a recent study found that 80 percent of all eligible fathers keep right on working.